Manuel Neuer insists he has no regrets about returning to international football, even though Germany endured a shock exit from the World Cup. The iconic goalkeeper rejoined the national team for one final campaign, only to see Die Mannschaft bow out in the round of 32 following a defeat to Paraguay, leading to his second and final retirement from international duty.

A bittersweet final chapter in international football

Neuer has now officially ended his international career for the second time, closing a remarkable chapter with the German national side. The 40-year-old Bayern Munich captain had initially retired after Euro 2024 but made a comeback for the World Cup held in North America, stepping in after Marc-Andre ter Stegen was ruled out through injury.

However, his return did not deliver the fairytale ending many had hoped for. Germany were knocked out in the round of 32 after a 4-3 defeat on penalties to Paraguay. Despite the early exit, Neuer maintains he made the right choice by donning the national colours once more, expressing pride in representing the four-time world champions on football’s biggest stage.

Neuer reflects on Germany’s early World Cup exit

Announcing his retirement on social media, Neuer acknowledged the team’s underwhelming performance and his frustration with the outcome. The veteran keeper admitted that Germany failed to meet expectations, extending a poor recent record at World Cups. Since winning the trophy with Neuer in 2014, Germany had suffered two consecutive group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022, before falling at the round-of-32 stage under coach Julian Nagelsmann, despite the squad’s immense talent.

Neuer wrote: “It has always been an honour! The early exit from the World Cup is extremely disappointing. We clearly fell short of expectations and should have progressed further in this tournament. This ending is very painful. I made a conscious decision to play for Germany one more time. Firstly, because wearing the national team jersey has always filled me with deep pride.”

Experience, leadership, and resilience

His decision to return at 40 years old was motivated by a desire to guide and support the next generation of German players. Neuer believed that his experience from four previous World Cup campaigns could offer invaluable mentorship to the younger members of the squad, even if his individual performances were not at their usual standard. The veteran goalkeeper endured a difficult tournament, failing to register a single clean sheet. He conceded in the 7-1 win over Curaçao and the 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast, was blamed for the decisive goal in the 2-1 loss to Ecuador, and conceded again in the 1-1 draw with Paraguay before Germany’s eventual penalty defeat.

“Secondly, because at 40 years old and with the experience of four World Cup tournaments, I wanted to support the young players both on and off the pitch in the best way possible and help German football,” Neuer explained. “Despite the bitter end, I don’t regret this decision for a second. My disappointment is indescribable, yet I feel immense gratitude. Thank you for your support over all these years and during this tournament.”

The conclusion of a historic international legacy

Neuer’s retirement brings an end to an illustrious era in German football, as one of the final members of the 2014 World Cup-winning team steps away. He retires with 128 international caps, including 23 World Cup appearances since his debut in 2010, when Germany finished third. Across those matches, the legendary shot-stopper conceded 21 goals and recorded seven clean sheets, cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest goalkeepers.